Fabiano Caruana achieved one of the greatest tournament results in chess history this month at the second Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, USA. The Italian obliterated the incredibly strong field, comprising six of the nine best players in the world in a double round-robin with an average rating over 2800.
Caruana stunned commentators and players alike by winning his first seven games, including a win with Black over reigning world champion, Magnus Carlsen of Norway. In the eighth round they met again and this time Carlsen broke Caruana's streak by holding the draw. This result assured Caruana outright first place with two round to go. He drew his final two games as fatigue started to show, to finish on 8½/10. Carlsen came second on 5½ an amazing three points behind, followed by Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in third place on 5 points.
Today's game is Caruana's sixth victory at St Louis and his second over Topalov, who is playing Black.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6
By making this exchange against the Taimanov Sicilian, White gains an advantage in development at the expense of giving Black a solid foothold in the centre. 6... bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.O-O Nf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.e5 Nd7 11.Qg4 Kf8!?
A much rarer continuation than 11... g6, which weakens the dark squares and also foregoes kingside castling after 12. Bh6. Black is trusting in his strong central bulwark to keep his king safe. 12.Na4 Qa5!? 13.Re2!?
Black's last move was a prepared novelty, but it meets with a prepared response. White avoids piece exchanges while retaining the possibility of hitting the black queen with Bd2. 13... h5
Expanding on the kingside while the white queen is tied to defending the knight on a4. Also possible was 13... c5 leading to a different type of game. 14.Qf4 g5 15.Bd2 Qc7
According to Caruana 15... gxf4 16.Bxa5 was better for Black. With the queens off, the black king would be much safer than in the game. 16.Qg3 h4 17.Qg4 Rg8?!
Obviously not 17... Nxe5? 18. Rxe5 Qxe5 19. Bc3 skewering the rook. Black's move now threatens the e-pawn, but White defends the threat easily and soon gains the initiative. The most interesting possibility was 17... c5! 18.Bxg5 (18.c4? Nxe5! is now possible as the d-pawn can block the long diagonal.) 18... Bxg5 19.Qxg5 c4 trapping the bishop. After 20.Bf5! exf5 21.e6 fxe6 22.Rxe6 Ne5 23.Qxf5+ Nf7 24.Qxd5 Bxe6 25.Qxa8+ White gets a third pawn for the piece with a highly unclear position. 18.Rae1 c5 19.c4 dxc4?!
In the pursuit of counterplay on the d-file, Black opens up the game for White's better-developed pieces. Instead 19... d4 keeps White's attack at bay long enough for Black to untangle, though he would have few active prospects. 20.Bxc4 Bb7 21.h3 Rd8 22.Bc3 Nb8 23.Re3! Nc6?
Heading to the d4 outpost, but Caruana has prepared a devastating response. 23... Bd5 defusing one of the bishops was the best chance to stay in the game. 24.Bxe6! fxe6 25.Rf3+ Ke8
Topalov had intended 25... Kg7, but after 26.Qh5 Rdf8 27.Rf6! either capture on f6 results in a massacre: 27... Rxf6 (27... Bxf6 28.Nxc5! Bc8 29.exf6+ Rxf6 30.Rxe6!) 28.exf6+ Bxf6 29.Qxg5+ etc. 26.Qxe6 Rg7
Black is not saved by 26.Nd4 27.Qxg8+ Kd7 28.Qf7 Nxf3+ 29.gxf3 Kc8 30.e6 with two extra pawns and an ongoing attack. 27.Qh6 Nd4 28.e6!
Cutting off the king's escape is the most incisive win. 28... Nxf3+ 29.gxf3 Bf8
Else 29... Rg8 30.Qh5+ mates, while the attempted counter-attack 29... Qf4 30.Qxg7 Bd6 31.Qxb7 Qh2+ 32.Kf1 Qxh3+ 33.Ke2 fails as 33... Qxe6+ 34.Kf1 pins the queen. 30.Qh5+ Ke7 31.Bxg7 Resigns
After 31... Bxg7 32.Qf7+ Kd6 33.e7 White wins all sorts of material.
Fabulous Fabi storms Sinquefield Cup
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
Fabiano Caruana achieved one of the greatest tournament results in chess history this month at the second Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, USA. The Italian obliterated the incredibly strong field, comprising six of the nine best players in the world in a double round-robin with an average rating over 2800.
Caruana stunned commentators and players alike by winning his first seven games, including a win with Black over reigning world champion, Magnus Carlsen of Norway. In the eighth round they met again and this time Carlsen broke Caruana's streak by holding the draw. This result assured Caruana outright first place with two round to go. He drew his final two games as fatigue started to show, to finish on 8½/10. Carlsen came second on 5½ an amazing three points behind, followed by Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in third place on 5 points.
Today's game is Caruana's sixth victory at St Louis and his second over Topalov, who is playing Black.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 e6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nc6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Nxc6
By making this exchange against the Taimanov Sicilian, White gains an advantage in development at the expense of giving Black a solid foothold in the centre.
6... bxc6
7.Bd3 d5
8.O-O Nf6
9.Re1 Be7
10.e5 Nd7
11.Qg4 Kf8!?
A much rarer continuation than 11... g6, which weakens the dark squares and also foregoes kingside castling after 12. Bh6. Black is trusting in his strong central bulwark to keep his king safe.
12.Na4 Qa5!?
13.Re2!?
Black's last move was a prepared novelty, but it meets with a prepared response. White avoids piece exchanges while retaining the possibility of hitting the black queen with Bd2.
13... h5
Expanding on the kingside while the white queen is tied to defending the knight on a4. Also possible was 13... c5 leading to a different type of game.
14.Qf4 g5
15.Bd2 Qc7
According to Caruana 15... gxf4 16.Bxa5 was better for Black. With the queens off, the black king would be much safer than in the game.
16.Qg3 h4
17.Qg4 Rg8?!
Obviously not 17... Nxe5? 18. Rxe5 Qxe5 19. Bc3 skewering the rook. Black's move now threatens the e-pawn, but White defends the threat easily and soon gains the initiative. The most interesting possibility was 17... c5! 18.Bxg5 (18.c4? Nxe5! is now possible as the d-pawn can block the long diagonal.) 18... Bxg5 19.Qxg5 c4 trapping the bishop. After 20.Bf5! exf5 21.e6 fxe6 22.Rxe6 Ne5 23.Qxf5+ Nf7 24.Qxd5 Bxe6 25.Qxa8+ White gets a third pawn for the piece with a highly unclear position.
18.Rae1 c5
19.c4 dxc4?!
In the pursuit of counterplay on the d-file, Black opens up the game for White's better-developed pieces. Instead 19... d4 keeps White's attack at bay long enough for Black to untangle, though he would have few active prospects.
20.Bxc4 Bb7
21.h3 Rd8
22.Bc3 Nb8
23.Re3! Nc6?
Heading to the d4 outpost, but Caruana has prepared a devastating response. 23... Bd5 defusing one of the bishops was the best chance to stay in the game.
24.Bxe6! fxe6
25.Rf3+ Ke8
Topalov had intended 25... Kg7, but after 26.Qh5 Rdf8 27.Rf6! either capture on f6 results in a massacre: 27... Rxf6 (27... Bxf6 28.Nxc5! Bc8 29.exf6+ Rxf6 30.Rxe6!) 28.exf6+ Bxf6 29.Qxg5+ etc.
26.Qxe6 Rg7
Black is not saved by 26.Nd4 27.Qxg8+ Kd7 28.Qf7 Nxf3+ 29.gxf3 Kc8 30.e6 with two extra pawns and an ongoing attack.
27.Qh6 Nd4
28.e6!
Cutting off the king's escape is the most incisive win.
28... Nxf3+
29.gxf3 Bf8
Else 29... Rg8 30.Qh5+ mates, while the attempted counter-attack 29... Qf4 30.Qxg7 Bd6 31.Qxb7 Qh2+ 32.Kf1 Qxh3+ 33.Ke2 fails as 33... Qxe6+ 34.Kf1 pins the queen.
30.Qh5+ Ke7
31.Bxg7 Resigns
After 31... Bxg7 32.Qf7+ Kd6 33.e7 White wins all sorts of material.
1-0
Solution: 1. Nf7+! Rxf7 (1... Bxf7 2. g7+ Qxg7 3. Qxg7#; 1... Qxf7 2. gxf7 Rxf7 (2... Bxf7 3. Qg7#) 3. Qg8#) 2. gxf7 Qxg5 (2... Bxf7 3. Qf6+ Qg7 4. Qxg7#; 2... Qxf7 3. Qe5+ Qg7 4. Qxg7#) 3. f8=Q+ Qg8 4. Qxg8#.